In 2001, wealthy Portuguese investor and art patron José Berardo was shocked by the Taliban government’s destruction of the Giant Buddhas in Banyan, Afghanistan. In response to the demolition of these masterpieces of the late Gandhara period, Berardo initiated the Buddha Eden as an homage to the cultural and spiritual monuments.
Six tons of marble Buddhas and figures were installed throughout the garden of peace. Walkways, piers and gazebos provide access to areas for contemplation. And additional feature of the gardens is a cobalt blue replication of the Terracotta Army from China.
The non-profit Berardo Foundation manages the facility to create a space for all people regardless of religious affiliation, ethnicity, national origin, sex, age or social standing. They call for unity, communication and meditation as a way to discover happiness. And, perhaps in doing so, these actions counterbalance the destruction in Afghanistan, and instead, spread a culture of peace.
